Loose-leaf binder



Oct. 6, 1925.

E. W. CARPENTER LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 28, 1923 v juqcnl'o:

Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

'VUNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed August 28,1928. Serial 110. 659,737.

7 To all whom it c onoem:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. CARPEN- 'TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of FaixZfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful' Loose-Leaf Binder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loose leaf bind ers of the type in which there are one or more sets of oppositely disposed complement'ary arched arms, the free ends of which are separable to allow for insertion or removal of the loose leaves, and may then be pressed together to secure the -.leaves thereon, and in which resilient means-is providedfor holding these arms either in open or closed position. I

i ,It is an object of the invention to simplify the construction of this type of binder by reducing the number of parts and making the to get out of order and thus will be more reliable and eflicient in operation.

. With the foregoing and other objects in View, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in"

which 1 Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved binder showing the securing arms in open position.

' Fig. 2 isa bottomplan view showing the arms in closed position.

I the opposite sides 11 thereof are fFig. 3 is a side elevation atoneend there- 0 Figure 4. is "a transverse section showing the arms closed..

' Fig.5 is a transverse section substantially -.on'line-5-"5 ofFig, 1 and corresponding to Fi 4-with the arms "in open position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 ,is an end elevation looking from the bottom of Fig. 1.

My improved binder comprises a back plate 10 of suitable resilient sheeetal, and

nt laterally longitudinally of the body and in spaced relation so that the plate is substantially Ushaped in cross section, asshowln in Figs. 4: to 7. At its opposite ends the body of the plateis provided with suitable lugs or ears 12 having openings 13 whereby .the plate may be secured to any suitable support.

rts less complicated so that the' device Wlll require less metal, may be more cheaply manufactured, will be less liable Located between the sides 11 of the back plate is a pair of rods 14 which extend longitudinally of the plate and engage the sides 11. At suitable positions, preferably adjacent their opposite ends, these rods are olfset towards each other as shown at 15, and

connections. Preferably this connection is formed by providing agroove or recess 16 in one of the rods and a projecting tongue 17 in the other rodfadapted to' seat in thegroove or recess. This tongue and-groove forms a pivotal connection between the two rods, and they are held in engagementby the sides 11 of the back-plate.- The rods 14 are provided with oppositely disposed complementary curved or arched arms 18 and 19 extending at substantially right angles to the body of the rod; To provide a pivotal connection between the rods and the back platethis plate is providedwith a plurality .gle connection 16-17 will pass through a line joining these pivotal connections from one side to'theother thereof and thus with the sides 11, through the resiliency of the plate, form a spring operated toggle. For

example, when the free ends of the arms are 'movedfrom the. closed position shown in Fig. 4a to the operf or separated position shown in Fig. 5, the tongue and groove conthese ofl'sets are'connected by-siiitable toggle nection 16-17 is passed upwardly from a point below thepivotal bearing of the arms lgand 19 onthe edge of the openings 20,

shown at 21, to a position above these bearings, as shown in Fig. 5. During the first part of'fthis'movement the toggle connection separates the sides 11 against the resiliency of the" plate, and then as the tongue and groove connection passes above these pivots the resiliency of the plate tends to force these sides together and hold the free ends of the arms 18 and 19 separated, as shown in Fig. 5. The same resiliency of the plate tends to hold the ends of the arms together or closed, as shown in Fig. 4. When the arms are opened the body of the plate forms i a limit stop to limit the movement of the offsets 15 and to prevent the arms opening too far. This action is illustrated in Fig. 5. The'ends of the arms '18 and 19 are preferably mated, one of them being provided with a groove 22 and the other with a correspondingly shaped end 23 to fit this groove.

In assembling, the sides 11 are bent only part way to the position shown in Fig.2. The rods 14 are then placed in position with the arms 18 and 19 extending through the openings 20, and with the tongue 17 in the grooves or recesses 16. Pressure is then applied laterally to the sides 11 bringing them tightly against the body portions of the rods, after which operation the resiliency of the'plate will hold the rods in position with the tongues 17 and the grooves 16 in engagement.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the binder is extremely simple in construction requiring the minimum number of parts, which parts are themselves very simple in construction. Thus the device may be manufactured at low cost and is very unlikely to get out of, order. The type of toggle connection between the rods illustrated, that is the tongue and groove, is old and well-known in this type of devices, but in prior devices the edges of the sides of the back plate were curvedover the rods to secure the rods in the back plate and to provide a them. By providing the openings 20, however, and have laterally extending portions of the rods rest on edges of these openings,

. a pivotal connection is rovided between the rods and the plate, an the rods will be securely fastened to the plate without the necessity of lapping the plate around the rod, which is an expensive and difficult operation. Besides it requires a greater amount of metal than is required with the construction of the appl-ieants device.

Having thus-set forth the nature invention, what I claim is:

, 1. Ina looseleaf bi der, a

of my back plate provided with openings, a pair of rods provided with oppositely disposed complementary arched arms extending through sa d openings, the sides of the openings extending be-- neath the arms to form bearings therefor,a toggle connectlon between said rods, and resilient meanscoacting with said toggle to holdthe arms either together or separated.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a resilient back plate provided with openings, a pair of rods provided with oppositely disposed complementary arched arms extending through said openings, the sides of the openings extending beneath the arms to form bearings therea s. ivotal connection betweenfor, and a toggle connection between said rods, portions of the plate reacting with said rodsto operate the toggles and hold the arms either together or separated. i

3. In a loose leaf binder, a resilient back plate substantially U-shaped in cross section and provided with a plurality of openings, a pair of rods provided with oppositely disposed complementary arched arms extending through said openings, the sides of the openings extending beneath the arms to form bearings therefor, portions of said rods lying between the sides of the plate and engaged thereby, and a. toggle connection between said rods.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a resilient back plate with the sides bent laterally from the body and spaced from each other and provided with a plurality of openings, a pair of rods located between said sides and provided with oppositely disposed complementai'y curved arms extending through said openings, the sides of the openings. extending beneath the arms to form bearings therefor, and a toggle'connection between said bars, said toggle and the sides of the plate coacting to hold the arms either separated or together.

5. In a loose leaf binder, a resilient back plate with the sides bent laterally to the body in spaced relation and provided with a plurality of openings, a pair of rods between said sides in engagement therewith and provided with oppositelydisposed complementary curved arms extending through said openings, the sides of the openings extending beneath the arms to form bearings therefor, and said rods being provided with oii'sets toward each other .having compilementar tongue and groove connections, the sides 0 the plate and the tongue and groove connections coacting to provide a spring operated toggle to hold the arms either separated or together.

6. In a loose leaf binder, a resilient back plate with its sides bent laterally to the body and in spaced relation, a pair of rods between said sides and' provided with oppositely disposed complementary curved arms, said plate being provided with a plurality of openings therethrough and the sides of the. openings extending beneath the rods to provide them with bearings on the'sides of said openings, and a toggle. connection. between saidrods, the sides of the plate and the I EDWARDW. CARPENTER. 

